Rural rate relief

Some types of rural business can get a discount on their Business Rates.

You might be able to get help with your Business Rates if your bill says your business is in any of the areas listed here.

Find out which areas count for rural rate relief in Cheshire East

How much rural rate relief businesses can get

Until 31 March 2017, most types of rural rate relief include both a mandatory and a discretionary discount. You will definitely get the mandatory discount if your business meets the conditions. The discretionary amount isn't guaranteed.

Businesses that can get mandatory rural rate relief can't claim small business rate relief. 

Discounts for rural businesses

The rateable value thresholds given here are from 1 April 2010.

Rural business rates discounts

Type of business	Mandatory discount	Maximum discretionary discount	Rural rate relief category
Sole post office or general store (selling household goods and food for human consumption that isn't mostly sweets), where the rateable value is less than £8,500	50%	50%	29
Sole pub where the rateable value is less than £12,500	50%	50%	30
Sole petrol station - on an A road and where the rateable value is less than £12,500	50%	50%	31
Sole petrol station - not on an A road, and where the rateable value is less than £12,500	50%	50%	32
Food shop where the main business is the sale of food for human consumption and where the rateable value is less than £8,500. Not catering businesses or shops selling mostly sweets	50%	50%	33
Business of benefit to the community and where the rateable value is less than £16,500	0%	100%	34

How to apply for rural rate relief

You can apply for rural rate relief by filling in our online form.

Apply for Business Rates relief

You must keep paying the rates shown on your bill while you wait to hear from us, unless we've agreed you don't have to.

Backdating claims for rural rate relief

The rules about backdating depend on whether the relief is mandatory or discretionary.

Mandatory relief

You can backdate claims for mandatory relief for the last 6 years.

Discretionary relief

You can only apply for discretionary relief up to the 30 September following the 1 April - 31 March period the application relates to. This means you must apply for any relief for the rating year ending 31 March 2018 before 30 September 2018.

What happens next

We may visit the property and check your business meets the conditions for any mandatory relief. We'll then consider whether we can give any discretionary relief and if so, how much.

When we give discretionary relief, we are spending council tax payers and ratepayers money, so we need to be sure that giving the relief will benefit the community. We follow guidelines set down by councillors.

Once we've made our decision, we'll either send you a new bill or let you know why you can't get a discount.

We try to make decisions within 4 weeks, but it might take longer.

If you think we have made a mistake about a mandatory relief or want to challenge a decision about a discretionary relief, you can appeal. 

Renewing rural business rate relief

Once mandatory rural rate relief is added to your bill, you'll get it automatically the next year. 

Changes in circumstance for rural rate relief

You must tell us if your circumstances change. For example, if you are no longer the only shop or pub, or if you change what you sell so you no longer count for rural relief.

We do sometimes review reliefs. If you haven't told us about a change that means your property no longer counts, you'll have to pay the backdated business rates within 14 days. 

Areas that count for rural rate relief in Cheshire East